Metallic cross-tie for railways



(No Model.)

a. COLEMAN &' R. DE SAUSSURE: METALLIC GROSS TIE FOR-RAILWAYS.

. 529, 79, Patented Nov. 20, 1894. 2 1f their A77 ENE).

11-1: "cams PETERS 00., PHDTO-UTHO" WASHINGTON, n. c.

NITED STATES PATENT Erica.

CLARENCE COLEMAN AND RENE DE SAUSSURE, orv ROANOKE', ASSIGNORS OF ONE-THIRD TO HERMAN JEA'N VoN HEMERT AND ETIENNE MULLER, v

OF NORFOLK, VIRGINIA.

METALLIC CROSS-TIE F OR R-AILWAYS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 529,679, dated November 20, 1894. Application filed August 13,1894. Serial No. 520,173. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, CLARENCE COLEMAN, a citizen of the United States, and RENE DE SAUSSUBE, a citizen of France, both residing at Roanoke, in the county of Roanoke and State of Virginia, have invented certain new and ,useful Improvements in Metallic Cross- Ties for Railways; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to metallic crossties for railways. The object is to producea metallic cross-tie of simple, ready-and inexpensive, but efficient construction, by which the rails will be held firmly in line; furthermore, to unite with the essential qualities of iron or steel. in a cross-tie, the use of wood, economically and in a manner. to give elasticity under the rail-seat and allow a. spikefastening to be employed; furthermore, to unite with the use of a metallic cross-tie, the use of wood or other suitable substance for a cushion, with protection of the cushion from injury, under impact of. the rail from passinga metal tie-plate which shall protect the wood.

With these objects in view, the invention consists in a metallic cross-tie for railways having one or more boxes in the course of its length formed of upper and lower straps, and to or. by means of which rails may be secured in position; 51c lower straps being below the plane of the body of the tie; furthermore, in the combination with a metallic cross-tie having one or more boxes formed-of continuous upper and lower straps, of blocks or lengths of wood in the boxes to present a support in these, allow the useof spikes to fasten the rails to the metallic tie,'and act as a key to stifien and strengthen the tie at the point which bears the load in passing trains; furthermore, in the combination with a metallic cross-tie having boxes formed of upper and.

lower straps in the course of its length, ct blocks or lengths of wood fitting theboxes and presenting an elastic support under and protected by them, and permitting theuse of spikes to fasten the rails to the tie, the boxes beingintegral with the tie; and finally, the invention resides in various details'ot construction, all as more fully hereinafter set forth.

In the accompanying drawings,-forming perspective, showing'a blank. Fig. 2- is a similar view, showing the blank provided with slits toward its ends. Fig. 3- is a similar view, showing the slitted blank bent at the slits to presenta tie with boxes, tie-plates, or straps toward its ends, with their tops in the same plane with the main body of the blank, and extension-plates for hearings, on p a plane below-that of the main plate or body of the tie, all formed in one piece, the inner portion of the part between the slits forming the top of the box, in the same plane with the body, the inner portions of the parts'outside of the slits forming offsets at the ends of. the body or main plate of the tie, the outer portions of the part between the slits forming the end of the box, and the outer portions of the parts outside of the slits forming supports, and with the portion beyond the ends oi the slits, an extension-piece or bearing on a plane below that of the main plate or body ofthe tie. Fig. 4- is a similar View, showingxin addition to what is displayed in Fig. 3, the sides of the body of the tie bent ,down to form flanges, and there being holes in the tops of the boxes. Fig. 5- is a similar'view, but showing a modification, in which the inner portion of the part between the slits is bent upward, forming an upper strap, cr tic-plate, with its top above the plane of the main body of the tie, and the outer portions of the parts outside of the slits, instead of forming, with the portion beyond the ends of the slits, together, an extension-bearing,

being bent down at right-angles, forming lower straps of the box of the same shape as the upper strap, the upper end of the slit extending as a bearing, as before, but being in or nearlyin the same plane with the main body of the tie. Fig. 6is a view in cross-section through a road-bed and track, showing, in side-elevation, a cross-tie of the kind displayed in Fig. 4, in position with blocks driven into the boxes, and rails running over their tops, spiked through the boxes into the blocks, the extension being on a plane below that of the main body of the tie. Fig. 7- is a view in end-elevation of the construction displayed in Fig. 6. Fig. 8- is another view in cross section, through a road -bed and track, showing, in side-elevation, a cross-tie of the kind displayed in Fig. 5,'in position with blocks driven into the boxes and rails running over their tops, secured by spikes through boxes into the blocks, the extension being in about the same plane with that of the main body of the tie. Figs. 9 and 1 0 are views in side-elevation, each of a portion of a tie and its box, showing other shapes or constructions of boxes or tie-plates and positions of the extension-pieces or bearings; and Fig. 11- is a view in plan, showing a cross tie of our construction with blocks driven into the boxes, rails running along the, tops of the boxes, and spiked through the boxes to the blocks.

In carrying our invention into effect, the point is to provide, in the length of a metaltic tie, at proper places, boxes, the tops of which will be on alevel with the bottom-surface of the rails, which boxes will present a bearing-surface to the rails, and, when these are fastened to them, as by bolting them directly to the metal, orby spiking them to blocks or stringers running through the boxes, will serve, with the rest of the tie, to

hold the rails from lateral movement in either.

direction. For an ordinary track, there will be a box toward each end of thetie; but

there may be as. many boxes as desired in the 1 cut into a blank may be chosen ad libz'tttm, and that there may be any number oh straps above or below the blank,or straps of anydelength of the tie for use in the construction otswitch-ties, frog-ties, bridge-ties, the. The preferred manner of construction of the tie and mode of use is, however, that shown in the. drawings.

' In the drawings, A, represents the body of" 1 a metallic tie, having, toward its ends, tieplates, integral with the body, in the nature of boxes, B. Theseboxes may be formed by stamping them out of a plain blank; but are prefierably made by slitting a metallic blank 1 1 position, the lower straps, being belowv the plane of the body of 'the tie, substantially as t described.

near/its ends, as at a, a, bending the inner portions otthepartsoutside of the slits downward, and the outer portion. of the part between the slits to any desired angle with the body of the blank, leaving the remainder of the parts outside of the slits level and in a plane. with the portion beyond the ends of the slits, being then on a plane below that of the body of the blank. This forms angular straps, the inner one constituting the top (or bottom) of a box, B, with top and outer end closed and sides open, and the outer ones constituting supports, 1), b, on each side of it, with an extension or bearing surface, b beyond the end of the box. The top of the box is provided, preferably, with holes, a a for bolts or spikes. The body of the blank is preferably bent down at its sides to form flanges, a which serve the double purpose of strengthening the body, and of enabling the tie to be more securely held in the roadbed.

Instead of forming the boxes and supports, as just described, and which construction is shown in Fig. 3, the boxes may be formed as shown in Fig. 5, where the middle strap is formed by bending the part between the slits upward, making angular ofisets upward at its ends, and the outer straps are formed by bending the parts outside of the slits downward, making angular offsets downward at the ends, whereby the top of the box will be on a plane above that of the main body of the tie, and the extension or bearing surface will be on the same plane.

It is to be understood that the straw may be bent to any suitable shape, so that the box may'be of rectangular, polygonal, or other configuration, and the bearing surfaces, 17?,

may be in any plane with relation to the body Y ferred that the boxes should besupported, by

wooden blocks, 0, driven into them by sledging or by hydraulic pressure, so that, when 1 they are driven into place, they shall be firmly held by the straps and angles formed by slitting and bending, as above described; or the box may be driven onto stringers.

It will be. obvious that the number of slits sired width for retention or for support.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patcut, is-

1. A metallic. crosstie for. railways having one or more boxes in the course of its length formed of upper and lower straps and to r by means of which rails may be secured in 2. A metallic cross-tie for railways having one or more boxes formed of upper and lower straps integral with the body of the tie, and the lower straps below the plane of the same, substantially as and for the purpose set forth. 3, A metalliccross -tie for railways, having one or more boxes formed of upper and. lower ing and protecting the wood at the rail-seat, straps in combination with a piece or pieces substantially asand for the purpose set forth. of wood driven into the box or boxes, that is, In testimony whereof we affix our signatures between the straps, substantially as and for in presence of two witnesses.

5 the Purpm descritled- CLARENCE COLEMAN.

4. The combination with a metallic cross- RENE DE SAUSSURE.

t1e havlng boxes or receptacles 1n the course of its length, formed of upper and lower straps, Witnesses: of wooden blocks or stringers fitting in the EDWARD W. ROBERTSON,

10 boxes or receptacles, the upper strap oover- PERCY MOIR. 

